1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to liquid propellant guns utilizing a differential piston to provide continued or regenerative injection of propellant into the combustion chambers after initial ignition of propellant in the chamber.
2. Prior Art
Liquid propellant guns utilizing differential pistons to pump propellant into the combustion chamber during combustion are now well-known. Early work is described in a Final Report of 19 Nov. 53-31 Jan. 56 under contract DA-36-034-ORD-1504RD, Project TSI-47-8 by V. M. Barnes, Jr. et al which apparently in part corresponds to Jukes et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,990 filed Oct. 9, 1961; in a report No. 17-2 of June 15, 1954 under contract NOrd-10448 by C. R. Foster et al; and in a Final Report of Sept. 1, 1957 under contract NOrd 16217, Task 1, by L. C. Elmore et al. Other patents of interest are J. W. Treat, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,341, filed Nov. 7, 1955; E. J. Wilson, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,153, filed Nov. 14, 1952; C. M. Hudson; U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,072, filed Nov. 19, 1952; and E. J. Vass et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,255 filed Oct. 1, 1970. Certain of these patents, e.g. Jukes et al, show the use of valves to control the entrance of propellant into the combustion chamber.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved check valve for a liquid propellant gun having a combustor assembly utilizing a differential piston which will preclude ullage at the supply face of said piston and which will provide damping of said piston at the end of its combustion stroke.
A feature of this invention is the provision of a liquid propellant gun utilizing a differential piston having a plurality of bores through its head, which head divides the liquid propellant pumping chamber from the combustion chamber, and propellant supply means providing liquid propellant under fixed feed pressure into said pumping chamber, which propellant under pressure both advances the piston to enlarge the pumping chamber and to decrease the combustion chamber while increasing pressure in said combustion chamber and injects and atomizes a predetermined quantity of propellant through said bores from said pumping chamber into said combustion chamber, and a check valve which precludes flow of liquid propellant under pressure from said piston to said propellant supply means and damps said piston at the end of its combustion stroke.